Enquiry capture at the point of contact
The shopper who asked about a product and left is exactly who a retail CRM exists to recover. Capture has to be a few taps for counter and floor staff, or it will not happen during a rush. Test it in the trial with staff doing it on a phone between customers, not with a manager doing it calmly in an office.
WhatsApp and campaigns
Judge whether WhatsApp conversations attach to the customer record and whether you can send offers and updates to opted-in segments. This is the channel that turns a past buyer into a repeat buyer in 2027, so it is a core criterion rather than a nice-to-have.
Repeat purchase and segmentation
The system should segment past customers by what and how much they bought and let you re-engage the right group at the right time. You rarely need an elaborate points programme — well-timed, relevant follow-up to a good segment usually beats a loyalty scheme nobody understands.
Multi-store and adoption
A chain needs enquiries routed to the right branch and activity visible across stores, with roles that show the right people the right customers. And across every store, the test that matters is whether busy staff actually keep it updated — a retail CRM nobody touches at the counter produces an empty database and misleading reports.
